Answer: No. Aidy Bryant is not a vegan.
The Saturday Night Live writer and comedian played a part in skits that seemingly had vegan undertones, which sparked speculations that Bryant is part of the vegan movement. She also has very close links with people that are reportedly vegan. However, some instances show Bryant is not a full-fledged vegan just yet.
Saturday Night Live has captured the hearts of American viewers with more than 40 seasons on television. The show is known for its humorous skits that are meant to generate laughs and send a relevant message to the people.
Aidy Bryant, a cast member of SNL since 2012, has already played different roles in the late-night variety show’s live skits. Her comedic timing and ability to subtly bring up the hard-hitting truths about our society are some things the SNL audience loved about her.
Bryant has gained many fans and followers over the years, which can somehow be attributed to her SNL stints. Not too long ago, the comedian caught the attention of the vegan community because of her memorable performance tackling the issue of animal meat consumption.
There are speculations, particularly among vegans, that Bryant must also be a vegan herself. There is only a little online information about the comedic actress, more so about her personal choices. Although we can look at every statement and action, she made in the past and see from there if she is indeed a vegan.
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Is Aidy Bryant Truly Vegan?
Aidy Bryant has not made an official confirmation that she is a vegan. She is also not affiliated with PETA and other groups that advocate the end of animal cruelty and exploitation. Nonetheless, people think Bryant is a vegan but choose not to let the public know.
People with a vegan mindset and lifestyle can easily be spotted through words and actions. As for Bryant, some hints might just confirm her vegan side.
SNL March 3, 2019 Episode: The Smokery Farm Skit
Aidy Bryant has made a lot of SNL, but the episode on March 3rd, 2019, was the first time that Bryant participated in a skit that raised the issue that vegans have been fighting for so long: the end of the unethical consumption of animal meat.
The particular SNL skit opened with host Colin Jost reporting about a real story of a pig rescued from a slaughterhouse and finding a new purpose in life as a painter. The pig rescue was named Pigcasso, and the reason behind the chosen name is pretty obvious. Pigcasso has gained popularity due to her abstract paintings worth thousands of dollars each.
To give a background about Pigcasso, the artistic pig was rescued from a hog breeding facility when she was little. In her first week at her new home, Pigcasso was given a bunch of objects to play with. The talented pig then showed the first signs that she was artistically inclined. Among all the objects in front of her, Pigcasso chose to play with the paintbrush. The rest is history.
Pigcasso’s story does not only prove that farm animals are sentient beings, but they are also much more than the roles that we have assigned to them. Going back to Bryant’s pro-vegan skit, it was built around the idea that farm animals can be very intelligent and charming creatures, which Pigcasso has proven to everyone with her lovely paintings.
After the Pigcasso feature, Jost called on the fictional guests of the show’s segment, the owners of the Smokery Farms Meat Gift Delivery Service, Wylene and Vanita Starkie. These two characters were played by Aidy Bryant and her SNL co-star, Kate McKinnon.
The Starkie sisters gave their opinion about the whole Pigcasso craze, as well as the other stories of animals showing their extraordinary capabilities. In a true satiric SNL fashion, Bryant’s and McKinnon’s characters said that all these videos of cute animals doing impressive feats are not helping their meat business.
According to Vanita, people who have watched these videos have turned into vegans. From this realization, the owners of Smokery Farm came up with an idea to stop every person from becoming vegan. Since watching smart animals is pushing people to become vegans, meat farmers should get animals that are “individually stupid or bad” as their meat source.
The Starkie sisters brought out a basket of raw meat cutlets, with each meat coming from an animal that did not do anything remarkable. This is the part where the audience has seen signs that Bryant is vegan.
McKinnon and Bryant are visibly uncomfortable looking at the basket of animal meat. Bryant, in particular, is having difficulty delivering her lines as she tries not to smell the meat.
Based on her facial reaction, Bryant is not fond of the meat’s odor. She tried her best to stay in character, even as she was very much affected by the scent and sight of the animal meat basket. Vegans who watched this SNL skit thought Bryant was not used to seeing raw meat because she is a vegan.
Based on the skit, we were shown that all animals have their own stories to tell, and their stories should not end with them being consumed as food. Viewers who had seen this skit likely cringe at eating meat from an animal that once lived a life.
Vegans applauded this skit so much. PETA even tweeted their reaction to Bryant’s powerful SNL skit.
SNL November 3, 2019 Episode: Smokery Farm Sisters Return To ‘Roast’ Impossible Burger
Bryant’s and McKinnan’s Smokery Farm characters did not take too long to return to the SNL stage. On the November 3rd, 2019 episode, Wylene and Vanita Starkie gave a piece of their mind about plant-based meat. At the time, the Impossible Burger had become increasingly popular, giving the public an option to enjoy the taste of meat without having the slaughter of animals.
During the segment, Jost brought up the growing sales of Burger King, all thanks to their new Impossible Whopper. The patty used in this Whopper is the Impossible Burger patty. It is 100% plant-based and, therefore, animal cruelty-free.
From a vegan standpoint, the success of plant-based meat in the market is great news since it confirms that humans can survive by not killing animals for their meat. The Smokery Farm skit depicted how the likes of Impossible Whopper are important to challenge the animal meat business.
In this skit, the Starkie sisters echoed their sentiments from their last SNL appearance. They said that animals being cute and smart hurts their meat business. Vegans liked the support that these skits have given to the vegan cause. Through her satirical performance, Bryant depicted how humans can love and appreciate animals as intelligent creatures while continuing the practice of eating them.
Relationship With Vegan Personalities
Aidy Bryant is known to be very close to Kate McKinnon. Unlike Bryant, McKinnon has made pronouncements in public that she has tried veganism. Some people believe that Bryant’s close friendship with McKinnon is enough to influence Bryant to become a vegan.
Another possible person that might convince Bryant to embrace a vegan lifestyle is none other than her own husband, Conner O’Malley. However, like his wife, no official records support the idea of O’Malley being a vegan.
Bryant and O’Malley have been married for four years now. If O’Malley is indeed vegan, it is possible that he could have already converted Bryant to veganism before her pro-vegan SNL stint in 2019.
Evidence That Shows Aidy Bryant Is Not Vegan
So far, the facts we have discussed are not enough to conclude that Aidy Bryant is vegan. We need to dig a little deeper to get a confirmation. Also, it is worth noting that veganism is more than choosing a completely plant-based diet. A vegan should also have a totally changed lifestyle that acknowledges animals’ suffering because of human choices.
Instagram Posts Of Non-Vegan Food
Aidy Bryant has an Instagram profile that she regularly updates. As expected, some posts on Bryant’s page can help us tell if she is vegan. One post that raises an eyebrow is Bryant’s birthday celebration in 2016. The post shows two birthday cakes with outer layers of cream.
All vegans are aware that dairy products like cream are not vegan-friendly. Although, we can still give Bryant the benefit of the doubt in this case. It is also possible that the cakes from her Instagram post are made of vegan ingredients.
There is also another Instagram post of Bryant that shows boxes of pizza. The pepperoni on the pizza indicates that it is not vegan. Likewise, the cheese on top of the pizza could also be non-vegan.
Aidy Bryant Says She ‘Barely’ Eats Meat In An Interview
In an interview in 2019, Aidy Bryant revealed that she barely eats meat. Based on this fact alone, we can conclude that Bryant is not a vegan, or at least for now. Nonetheless, the effort is already there to embody the vegan diet and lifestyle.
Wrapping Up
It is a little easier to say that Aidy Bryant is not vegan. Despite her SNL appearances with a pro-vegan message, these are not enough reasons to certify Bryant as a vegan. She was also seen around food that is not vegan, as shown by her Instagram posts.
